Flying Fox, a name that seems almost whimsical, yet masks a story brimming with achievement and unabashed determination. Bred by the illustrious Duke of Westminster at Eaton Stud, Chester, England in 1896, Flying Fox was a bay horse that's the equivalent of a modern conservative’s dream team—loyal, effective, and not afraid to take the lead in a world obsessed with mediocrity.
Born into equine nobility, Flying Fox was a progeny of the mighty sire Orme and the mare Vampire. In an era when the sport was dominated by coal and steel magnates, Flying Fox emerged like a lightning bolt, bypassing the conventional and banal for the extraordinary and unparalleled. His career was like a classic pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps narrative that liberals love to dismiss as a myth.
Let’s first salute his triumph in the 1899 Triple Crown—a feat of monumental accomplishment even then. Forget participation trophies; Flying Fox clinched the 2000 Guineas, The Derby, and St. Leger Stakes with a flair that makes today's so-called champions look like they're walking through the shallow end of the pool. The horse didn’t just compete; he conquered.
Now, where did this prodigious talent assert his superiority? His legendary match in the 1899 Doncaster St. Leger was the very essence of grace meeting gallantry. Under the skillful hands of jockey Mornington Cannon, Flying Fox's athletic prowess was magnified. It's as if Fox drew a line in the sand of mediocrity, challenging any would-be adversaries to step across.
And then there was the matter of his sale—the moment a conservative's business acumen shone brighter than a rarity sneak-peeks of common sense from the other side. The Duke of Westminster chose cold hard cash over sentimentality, selling Flying Fox for an astronomical 37,500 guineas—an amount that would make any so-called capitalist-phobic liberal shudder. Purchased by Edmond Blanc, Flying Fox was shipped off to France and sprawled his offspring’s success across the Continent in an unconscious emulation of Western values of propagation and success.
Flying Fox's lineage didn't just stop with untapped potential, either. His progeny carried forward his torch with a lineage that included winners like Ajax, La Belle II, and the notable Gay Crusader. When you’re the begetter of champions, the political left's sneers of luck or privilege lose their bite.
Critics argue about pressures on the racing industry, often clinging to concerns over ethics and animal welfare more tightly than what attaches a jockey to the saddle. Yet, ironically, Flying Fox's stories and stats speak to the superior breeding, care, and training, highlighting an era when human and horse partnership reached heights of mutual achievement—proving wrong those who wag their fingers in misguided judgment.
Even in his retirement from the racing circuit, Flying Fox remained an icon among horse breeders, standing as an indomitable bastion of excellence. He wasn’t content with chilling in obscurity; his legacy informs breeding practices and racing conversations to this very day.
Flying Fox’s life holds the kind of quintessential ideation of conservative values—hard work, winning against the odds, a refusal to indulge in victimhood, and an undeniable drive to succeed on one's terms. Ask yourself: when was the last time you saw someone crowned a Triple Crown champion just for showing up? This historical thoroughbred is evidence that greatness results from more than whining about life’s inequities.
Flying Fox, with his head held high and strides magnanimous, remains one of the most celebrated racehorses in history. Not just a case study in glory, but a living sermon about beating expectations and finding victory amid cynicism. While riding the wave of triumph, he serves as a metaphor for defying not just ordinary competition, but also an adversarial narrative that attempts to belittle exceptionalism.
So, here's to Flying Fox: then, now, forever—a testament to his time and a rebuke to mediocrity.